Classic survival horror is definitely in the midst of a comeback with PS1 esque titles the clear inspiration.

Games like Post Trauma and even the Silent Hill remake have already dropped to pave the way for the likes of Heartworm, a true homage – and evolution – of those classic titles we grew up with.

Basically, Heartworm has been designed for gamers who loved Resident Evil 1, Silent Hill 1, Dino Crisis and the like. Those who grew up on a PS1 and were brought up on tank controls. The aesthetic is right out of that wheelhouse.

But there’s marked evolutions here, such as the camera movement being more free-roam and scene transitions more seamless. It’s still fixed angles, but sometimes when running along a corridor the camera will follow you along or almost act as if it’s creeping up on you. Just like in those classic games the camera becomes a character in some ways, rather than just a means to see what’s around you.

Heartworm still relies heavily on those classic systems, though, such as forcing you to save at a console that’s sparsely populated, or use an item box to help alleviate your limited inventory space. You’ll also get around using color-coded flat maps. Read black-background notes, all while running around with barely any ammo for your weapons.

But despite the polygon models with jagged edges, blurred and texturised backdrops, mixed with shadows and light and a slightly more limited color palette, there’s a sharpness to the game with its music and sinister sound effects that feels like it could only have been made today.

As such, there’s a meta element to the game as it plays self-aware of that era and as much as it respects what came before, Heartworm does its best to be appealing to gamers in 2025. To me, it straddles that line quite well but I guess there’s a tint of bias there of someone who grew up in the era this game desperately wants to be a part of.

In Heartworm, you play as Sam, an intrepid young woman who is finding it difficult to move on from the death of her grandfather and follows a lead from an online forum that might help her connect with him on a spiritual level.

The game has multiple endings and some stunning cutscenes that are built into the in-game action, the atmosphere really befitting the era but the game itself doesn’t really have the same level of tension that was present in the games it was inspired by.

One big difference Heartworm makes is the ability to use your camera’s flash to briefly light up a room for a few seconds. This is so you can get a feel for your suroundings and illuminate seemingly indiscernable spaces. Rather than forcing you to hold a torch or lighter in hand, you can just tap the camera and a big brightness blast will suddenly bring those murky rooms to life. As you play, you’ll realise that camera is more than just a side piece.

The puzzles also lean a little bit modern, with you needing to pay attention to the journal notes but also understand your environment and setting, mixing it up between dial puzzles to chess boards and star constellations. This is where Heartworm really makes best use of more modern mindsets and technology while also doing an expert job of maintaininf something authentic and bringing in something fresh.

What’s most wonderful about Heartworm though, is how it expertly plays through different eras of the genre and even starts to lean into classics like Flashback and Another World, more side-scrolling 2D classics that never really got the chance to explore their vision of the future. Aside from the oft forgotten Fade to Black, Heartworm’s enemies and environments really do give players an idea of how these classic franchises would have looked if they’d been born of that same era. It’s clever and quite wonderful.

And without going into too much detail, it also adds a creativity to the enemies and the combat that really connects to the character and the world that’s been built. Like I said before, that camera isn’t just a prop!

What you’ll learn and find right away is that this is a game with plenty of heart – pun intended – and really plays with some powerful, affecting themes that strike a deep emotional chord. Especially if this was an era you have fond memories of, or a keen respect for. It’s not perfect, but then, neither were those games it’s inspired by.

Verdict

Heartworm is a very self-aware, intelligent take on classic survival horror franchises, that utilises some really clever ideas and will find ways to connect with the player through its themes, setting and mechanics. It’s rough around the edges at times and it’s style won’t be for everyone with the way you get around, the look and even the gameplay feel, but for those who grew up on the origins of the genre or those who look at it fondly and with respect, Heartworm is as good of a modern interpretation of it as has ever been made. 

Heartworm is out now on PC

Played on PC / Steam Deck

Code kindly provided by DreadXP for review purposes